• Former World Champion Hints At Leaving WWE Soon

During a recent appearance on “E&C’s Pod Of Awesomeness” podcast, former World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler hinted at leaving WWE soon due to his frustrations.

Below is what Ziggler said:

“About two and a half years ago I was debating… I don’t know what I have left here. I can help… keep helping people out, but I feel like a lot of my cries are falling on deaf ears to either have a change or kind of go away for a couple months and it wasn’t happening.

So I go – “Okay, when this one’s up, I’m out of here for now”. Surely I love it. They treat me well. They pay me well. But man, there’s just something where I go….It’s great and I get on the live events. I get to do whatever the hell I want and it’s awesome and fun and I go – “I feel like I need to go away”. I hate that I have to go away, but I have to.

And about two-and-a-half years ago this happened and I said, “Listen, thanks for everything. I got to get the hell out of here. You guys won’t give me a couple months off to just have them forget that I lose 99 times out of 100. I just need them to forget.

I don’t need to win a bunch. I need them to forget” and they would say no and I go – “Okay, I’m gonna have to do it myself then” and two and a half years ago I went to do it and they asked me to stay and help out. I said all right I’m in. So I have a very short amount of time left to figure out.

Yes, I want to do that again or if there’s something to reach for. All I can reach for is having fun matches and tearing it down on the weekends because it doesn’t seem to be a specific great prize to be reaching for here that I can attain so you can be patted on the back and be told – “you’re our guy, you’re our Shawn Michaels, you’re so good at this, we can’t do this without you”. But then watch a bunch of people not in that position kind of just go straight by.

So there’s no feeling hurt. This is a show business thing. I love it. And in a very short time I have to decide if I need to go away, go do my own thing or find a different role here because gatekeeper is a great spot for someone who hasn’t been World Champion, who doesn’t excel at seven out of the eight possible things that you can do here as a Sports Entertainer and it’s really weird that I can’t get more, but trust me when I say I’m knocking on the door every other day and almost demanding it.

Below is what former WWE Superstar and current ROH World Champion Cody Rhodes said about his self-financed wrestling show:

“We’ll have a date and a place within two weeks. That’s why I went ahead and commented on the original story, because it’s far enough along in the process that people need to know it’s happening.

I was confident enough to say let’s do it. Matt and Nick were confident enough to say let’s do it, but this is something that hasn’t been done. A lot of things have to happen. I think I’m most excited about the creation process. Putting this together with those two guys myself.

Some of the stuff that we’ve already got on board – not talent-based, but as far as people who are involved with this and people who have put some confidence in us, it’s just crazy.”

• Raw Loses 700,000+ Viewers Between The First & Third Hour Of Raw

This week’s episode of Raw, which featured two title matches, drew 2.81 million viewers. This is up from previous week’s 2.76 million viewers.

It should be noted that the first hour of Raw, which featured Roman Reigns defending his Intercontinental Championship against Jason Jordan, drew 3.15 million viewers. On the other hand, the third hour of Raw, which featured Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins challenging The Bar (Cesaro & Sheamus) for the Raw Tag Team Titles, drew 2.43 million viewers.

This means that Raw lost over 700,000 viewers between the first & third hour. Below are the results from the show:

• Goldberg’s Possible WWE Return Date

WWE officials are in talks with WCW Legend and former WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg for a return to WWE programming and a possible Hall of Fame induction during the WrestleMania 34 weekend.

Current talks are for him to return on Raw’s 25th anniversary episode, which airs on January 22nd and will also feature The Undertaker’s first appearance on WWE programming since his WrestleMania 33 loss to Roman Reigns.

• Sting Reveals If He Has Any Complaints Regarding His WrestleMania Match With Triple H, Still Wants To Face The Undertaker

Old School WCW Legend & WWE Hall of Famer Sting did a Q&A session at Wales Comic Con. Below are the highlights:

It has been reported that you held off getting neck surgery in order to have one more match. What is the story?

“I have never said ‘one more match’ ever. I’d like to have one more match, I’d like to have that Undertaker match. The only reason I held off on the surgery is because I had guys like Stone Cold saying don’t do it. I don’t have any side effects? I can still work out and it doesn’t bother me, I don’t get a sore neck from sleeping or anything so why would I get surgery? If you don’t need it, don’t do it.”

If WWE asked you to work a program with a young up and coming talent who would you pick?

“Bray Wyatt, I like him. I know he’s not young but he has character, it’s kinda old school and I like that.”

What is your personal take on the way your WrestleMania match with HHH was booked? Many believe you were screwed, were you?

“No. I have no complaints. It was WrestleMania. You had DX, you had the NWO. It was surreal. A great moment and great memories. No complaints from me.”

Why didn’t you get a return match with HHH?

“I think we got everything out in that match. I don’t think there was a need for it. We both got everything out in that one match.”

What were the plans for you after your WWE Title match with Seth Rollins?

“I don’t know, I don’t think they really had any plans to be honest. I had my plans, I wanted that match with Taker and would have done my best to make it happen.”

How much creative control did you have? Is there anything that you have had to do that you didn’t want to do and / or anything you wanted to do but never got chance to?

“I’m sure that there is plenty that I wanted to do like the Taker match for example. As for things that I didn’t want to do – I just didn’t do them. If I didn’t wanna do something I would find an alternative, better thing to do.”

• Two More Top Impact Wrestling Stars Leaving Soon?

Former TNA World Heavyweight Champion James Storm recently left Impact Wrestling. According to the Wrestling Observer, two more top Impact Wrestling stars might be leaving the company soon when their contract expires – Bobby Lashley & Ethan Carter III.

• Raw Women To Make History This Thursday At A WWE Live Event

At Thursday’s WWE Live Event in Abu Dhabi, Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss & Sasha Banks will make history when they wrestle in the first ever WWE women’s match in that country.

• Former World Champion Disqualified From Working For WWE

Former WWE Champion Rob Van Dam filed for a divorce with his ex-wife Sonya. RVD wants to pay less money to Sonya than she is demanding because he can no longer make good money in the Wrestling Business.

The reason behind RVD not being able to make good money is that he was disqualified from working for the WWE after he suffered a concussion, which resulted in visual impairment.

WWE isn’t renewing RVD’s merchandising contract either and this has resulted in RVD making way less money than he used to. RVD noted that he has aged out of the business, while his ex-wife is still capable of doing a job and earning herself.

• John Cena Gets Emotional On Good Morning Britain

During a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain, 16 time WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena got a little emotional while talking about proposing Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33.

Below is what Cena said:

“She said yes. I was extremely nervous, because the audience controls our program, and this was in a match with 75,000 people. You just get to the point where you think ‘man this is a good idea’, but then you’re like, ‘what if they start chanting ‘no! no! no!’.

It’s the best moment of my life, and I couldn’t think of a better place to do it. The WWE has been my family for the past 15 years… we have such a strong connection to our audience. The crazy thing about that moment was that I was in a match, before that, and if you watch the match back, the audience hated me.

But it’s such a show of respect that once the performance was over, they realize that this is a moment we are both going to remember for all of our lives.”

You can watch Cena proposing to Nikki at WrestleMania 33 below:

• NXT Wrestlers Suffer Injuries This Past Weekend

Aleister Black and No Way Jose suffered injuries this past weekend at NXT Live Events. However, these were just minor injuries and nothing serious. Officials still prevented them from competing at Saturday’s Live Event as a precaution.

Top UFC Heavyweight Fighter Francis Ngannou, who recently knocked out MMA Legend Alistair Overeem this past Saturday at UFC 218 PPV (you can watch it below in the article), wants to fight former UFC Heavyweight Champion and the current WWE Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar.

Below is what Ngannou said about facing Lesnar during his appearance on the Top Turtle MMA podcast:

“I’d always like to see the match between me and Brock Lesnar. Two big dudes. I like that matchup. I’m excited for that kind of match as a fan. … I want to see that match. He’s big. Huge, as you say. But he’s not stronger than me.

I’m stronger than him. I’m the best striker in the heavyweight division and the more powerful guy. I’m also a talented guy and I will deal with that very easy.”

Ngannou will likely face the current UFC Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic next for the Title and below is what he said about this potential fight:

“I always predict KO.

If he tries to stand up with me, he will not stand up too long. And I think he will probably try something. He’s a good striker, but he doesn’t know how dangerous I am.”

• On This Day In Pro Wrestling History (December 6, 2003) – WCW Veteran Passed Away

On this day in 2003 we lost Old School WCW Wrestler The Wall (Real name: Michael Jerome “Jerry” Tuite) after suffering a heart attack at the young age of 36.

He debuted in 1999 as the bodyguard of Berlyn (Alex Wright) and later became a member of the infamous ‘M.I.A. Misfits In Action’ faction.

Some might even remember him as Malice in the early days of TNA Total Nonstop Action, where he feuded with NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ken Shamrock.

† REST IN PEACE
December 27, 1966 – December 6, 2003

• Old School Wrestling Legend Would Have Celebrated His Birthday

Today would have been the 83rd birthday of Old School Wrestling Legend Nick Bockwinkel (Real name: Nicholas Warren Francis Bockwinkel).

He was a 4 time AWA World Heavyweight Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 by his former AWA manager Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY & R.I.P.
December 6, 1934 – November 14, 2015

• On This Day In Pro Wrestling History (December 6, 2014) – WWF Veteran Passed Away

On this day in 2014 we lost Old School WWF Tag Team Wrestler “The Gigolo” Jimmy Del Ray (Real name: David Ferrier) after suffering a heart attack at the age of 52.

The highlight of his Professional Wrestling career was certainly teaming with “The Doctor of Desire” Tom Prichard in SMW Smoky Mountain Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation as ‘The Heavenly Bodies’.

† REST IN PEACE JIMMY DEL RAY
November 30, 1962 – December 6, 2014

• On This Day In Pro Wrestling History (December 6, 1998) – WWF Capital Carnage

On this day in Pro Wrestling history on December 6, 1998, the World Wrestling Federation aired ‘Capital Carnage’ LIVE on PPV from the London Arena in London, England (UK / Europe).

This UK-only pay-per-view event would be renamed ‘WWF Rebellion’ the next year and became an annual event until 2002.